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Around Town

Santa Monica's Farmers' Markets are known for their rich bounties of vegetables, baskets of freshly cut flowers, live music, breads, cheeses, and delicious food samplings and the markets are open rain or shine for your convenience.

The introduction of photography in 1839 coincided with major social and economic changes spurred by the Industrial Revolution and a burgeoning culture of leisure. This exhibition traces the development of play as a photographic subject through the works of artists such as Roger Fenton, Lauren Greenfield, Bill Owens, and Larry Sultan among others. December 23 – May 10, 2015.

Accidentally discovered by a French farmer in 1830, the spectacular hoard of gilt-silver statuettes and vessels known as the Berthouville Treasure was originally dedicated to the Gallo-Roman god Mercury. Following four years of meticulous conservation and research at the Getty Villa, this exhibition allows viewers to appreciate their full splendor and offers new insights about ancient art, technology, religion, and cultural interaction. December 23 – May 10, 2015.

Our Principal Concertmaster Martin Chalifour is soloist in Suk's brilliant and rarely heard fantasy-concerto. Plus – mixing the familiar with the unfamiliar – the tense drama of Brahms’ Fourth. Brahms’ dramatic Fourth Symphony is the work with which the LA Phil won its most recent Grammy. April 17/18/19, 2015.

Drawn entirely from the premier collection of The New-York Historical Society, "Nature and the American Vision: The Hudson River School" features forty-five outstanding American landscape paintings from the nineteenth-century. Among the artists represented in the exhibition are the heroes of the American landscape movement: Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, and Albert Bierstadt, among others. Through June 7, 2015.

The efforts of MOCA’s Acquisition & Collection, Photography, and Drawings committees, as well as those of many generous individuals and institutions, have enabled the museum to cultivate one of the premier collections of contemporary art in the United States.

They delivered the papers, until they made the headlines…Direct from Broadway comes NEWSIES, the smash-hit, crowd-pleasing new musical from Disney. Winner of the 2012 Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Choreography, NEWSIES has audiences and critics alike calling it “A MUSICAL WORTH SINGING ABOUT!” (The New York Times). Filled with one heart-pounding number after another, it’s a high-energy explosion of song and dance you just don’t want to miss. March 24 - April 19, 2015.

The Tradition of Holiday Trains

By Shannon McShane

All aboard! The holidays are here, and what better way to remind us of the festive season than with the arrival of the Shutters on the Beach train. Displayed in the Living Room each December, the busy locomotive has become a holiday tradition at our luxury Santa Monica hotel.

Toy trains have a long history that date back to the 19th century. The first train system was made in Germany in 1891 by Märklin, a toy company known for its production of dollhouses and doll accessories.The train set contained a windup locomotive and a track; additional accessories included extra track and decorative buildings. The first train to make an appearance in the Shutters lobby in 1994 was a Märklin, and the set was much smaller than it is today. Over time, the train and the majestic toy town it services has grown. Today you can find a variety of shops in the tiny town including an art gallery, a guitar center, a day spa and more. The original Märklin train was eventually replaced with a Lionel locomotive, which is currently running.

It is thought that the tradition of displaying model trains during the holidays in the United States came about in 1830 when, on Christmas day, the first American built steam locomotive made its debut trip from Charleston to Hamburg, South Carolina. Trains have since held special holiday sentiments. Take for example the 1985 classic Christmas story, “The Polar Express” where a young boy takes a train to the North Pole to visit Santa Claus or the 1967 holiday song “Old Toy Trains” by Roger Miller.

Bring out your inner child this holiday season by stopping by the Living Room in our Santa Monica beach hotel to view our very special holiday train. Choo choo!